An Anonymous Letter, Return Address: Wonderland!
by CeruleanKiss
Summary: "You're caught in Wonderland, dear friend... Forced to drink, thus forced to play. There's no more sense of yesterday. You're here now, and now that you're here, You have to play, the rules are clear. If you can guess who wrote you the letter, And have successfully filled your vial, Only then can you leave, to go where ever. Only then have you won, free of trial." ;)


**A/N: Hello. This won't take too long, don't worry- the story is much lengthier than this author note ;)**

**1. I love reviews and I gladly take as many as I can get! Of all shapes and sizes. (though constructive criticism and/or you simply stating your personal opinion is my favorite to accept)**

**2. This story includes all the characters, though a few don't come in until later on. Please be a little patient with me, I like my stories to progress smoothly and artfully, so I'm not just going to throw all the characters into the basket of my story at once ;)**

**3. I only have read the first two manga books, and watched the movie. Haven't played the games or finished the manga yet. So I wouldn't say my knowledge of HNKNA is top-notch, but I'll try my best with this story!**

**4. DISCLAIMER: HNKNA belongs to QuinRose, not me :/ god dammit, so unfair (But, my OC DOES belong to me, so at least I can claim something)**

**5. I try to update within the span of a week, the latest it can get to is a week and a half. Just expect the next update to come through between 7-10 days or so. Though 10 days is late, for me. The earliest I do is within 3 days of the last update. Hah, it sort of varies all over the place, depending on my mood and inspiration levels. I work in random spasms. ^_^**

**6. I hope you really like me and my fic! I love this manga, so I know I'll enjoy this a lot :3**

**7. Feel free to PM me about ideas, or if you're not so shy, add in a review or two. I always check with my readers before updating again, and I love to hear anyone's ideas or opinions**

**8. I'm having trouble picking out which guy to end up with my OC. In this story, Alice is with Blood, so that cancels him out. But I just don't know who to put my OC with! Boris, Julius, Nightmare, Ace, etc etc! I dunno! Therefore, I have this plan. My readers will decide! So basically, this story will progress with you guys. I'll write each chapter with my OC interacting with each role holder. And then you guys can tell me who you prefer to have her with, or what you want to happen next and with who, so that together we can see who's the best to end up with her (:**

**Now, that was rather long, but I just wanted to explain from the beginning how I work. Without further ado, here is the first chapter! :D**

* * *

~Chapter One~ Aeryn In Wonderland

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

I was just walking out of the forest when the Bloody Twins found me. Well, I spotted them first, but even so, that put no lucky odds in my favor.

They seemed to be arguing over something- again. They are children, so they do have childish tendencies, of course. And a strange blood lust that often really sets me on edge, as well.

"-but, in our adult form, we can reach up higher!"

"So! We can just jump up high like this too! Besides, as kids we can fit into smaller spaces, and that helps us a lot when we're searching for treasure."

"Well, I guess you're right. But," Suddenly, blue eyes flashed towards me. The pair was still a few feet in front of me, and hadn't noticed me yet- until now. I watched uneasily as Dee's face lit up at seeing me. That is, it lit up with an eery, all too evil smile.

"But in our adult form," I heard him say to his brother, though he was still staring at me. "We always get a better reaction out of Aeryn-chan~"

Dum's eyes widened at his brother's words, and then both of them were looking straight at me. I immediately sweat-dropped, holding up my finger as if to get them to pause for a moment. And then I was turning back to the forest and sprinting through the trees.

I ran, my dress an all-too-obvious flash of white in contrast to the dark greens of the trees around me. No doubt- it wasn't hard to spot me. And if the twins were serious about catching up to me then-

"Aaah!" I screamed, my heart racing as a blue-eyed Dee was suddenly placed directly in front of me, weapon in hand. I tried to spin around, but then there was a hand on my arm, and I looked over to see Dum staring at me, grinning.

_"You're caught in Wonderland, dear friend..."_

"Caught ya!"

"Running away from us, Aer-chan?"

"How meeeaaan. We just wanna play!"

Out of the corner of my eye, I was entirely aware of the second twin closing in on me as well as the two spoke. "I have, uh, somewhere to be, so how about you let me-"

There was a sudden scent in the air, a scent you can only describe as foreign, and magical. And there was a sort of *poof!* that came with it. I knew all too well what this meant, especially when I felt stronger arms encircle me and two pairs of lips at each ear chuckling darkly now, instead of giggling playfully.

"-go..." I finished weakly.

"But we don't want to let go."

"Yeah, we want to play with you..."

I stopped moving, embarrassed at the thoughts that passed through my mind. As kids, when they said 'play' you knew they meant games. (Their type of twisted, bloody games, though) But when they were in their adult forms, it sounded much more suggestive. I squirmed when I felt an arm around my shoulders, and another two arms holding me around my waist.

"Maybe you can run away again, and we'll chase you down again. It is a lot of fun." The whisper in my ear made me shiver.

"And when we catch you again, then we get to deliver a punishment." Lips brushed over my cheek and I found myself blushing.

My eyes widened. "You what? Huh- wah- wait!" Suddenly I was lifted up, over the shoulder of one twin. I gripped his shoulder, it was higher up than I thought, and I didn't want to fall. "H-hey!" Suddenly, a handsome young man was in front of me. Red eyes stared into mine, walking behind his brother as I was carried. Without fail, I felt my face flush again, mainly from embarrassment.

"Wow, you were right Dee!" Dum said, laughing slightly, his voice a deep timbre that I really wasn't used to when it came to a kid like him. "When we're like this, her reactions are way more fun!"

"Better than Onee-chan's, right?"

"Onee-chan is always running from us too though."

"But she doesn't get so red!" Suddenly, I became all too aware of Dee's hand on my back as he adjusted me over his shoulder. Ugh, this position was much too awkward! Again, I felt my cheeks flushing.

"You're right," Dum suddenly leaned down, walking forward a bit more to get closer to my red face. His eyelids lowered slightly as he gave me some strange look. "Aeryn-chan's reactions are a lot more fun~"

I decided to ask a question that had been bugging me for quite some time after knowing them. "Why do you refer to Alice as your Onee-chan, but not me?"

"Because you're different," Dee started to explain.

"Big sis is Blood's now. And we don't want to have our pay docked if we steal her away." Dum explained.

And then, at the same time, they both said. "So Alice is our Onee-chan, and you're our Aer-chan!"

I felt something shift in my stomach, though it might just be the discomfort I felt from leaning over Dee's shoulder. "But- you can still have two Onee-chans, right?"

While carrying me still, I felt Dee shake his head. "No, you're not like our big sis."

"More like," Dum paused. "Our..." He frowned, thinking.

"Lover!" Dee exclaimed, following with him laughing his head off, which sounded much creepier when in his adult form.

I turned my head, looking between the two, openly shocked. And then, slowly, slowly the words took their effect on me. "EEHHH?! What are you saying?!" The pair only chuckled together, and suddenly I was all too aware of where I was headed. "Where are you taking me? Where are we going?"

"We're going to play~!" They both replied. And they didn't sound like children at all anymore. I was beginning to wonder just how innocent they really were- after all, they were surrounded my adults all of the time. They must hear a lot of things that children aren't supposed to hear. But... did they understand what the things they overheard meant?

My eyes widened. If they really _did_ understand...

And that's when all lady-like manners were thrown out the window, and I was slamming my fists against Dee's back. "Lemme go! Hey, let me go! PUT ME DOWN!"

"We're gonna _play_ with Aeryn-chaaan..." They sang in suspicious unison, the deep tones of their voices unmistakably darker than before.

"NO! I DON'T WANT TO PLAY WITH YOU!"

"Oooh no, Dum, are we gonna have to punish her for that?"

"I think we are."

As the Bloody Twins chuckled together, I felt a sure sense of dread taking over.

_Absolutely nothing good can come from this..._

* * *

I watched as the shade of the sky changed, signalling another random time lapse. Currently, I wasn't really anywhere. Well, I was outside, but I was standing sort of in the middle of no where. Beside me, the Knave of Hearts was pitching a tent.

I had learned my lesson for the last time. Never, EVER, accept directional assistance from the skilled-swordsman with the terrible sense of direction. But then again, he had kind of tugged me along with him, insisting that we were headed in the same direction. I didn't exactly trust him, but I somehow ended up being pulled along with him anyway. Just how I always ended up in these types of situations, I'm not entirely sure.

"Ace, it just got dark." Not to mention, I was shivering slightly in my dress. Just as randomly as day had turned to night, the wind had also dropped slightly in temperature.

"Great! The tent's ready."

I turned around, watching as he ducked under the flap. I should be surprised at how quickly he had put it together, or the fact that he had somehow carried a hidden tent with him and just pulled it out of practically no where. Instead, I was just tired. And really very annoyed with him.

"Do you know how troublesome you make everything for me?" I sighed, my mood steadily worsening while I slipped into the tent after him.

He only laughed, a hearty, fun sort of sound. How he was always so chipper, I did not understand, especially in a world where there was an ongoing civil war and at any point in time anyone in your company could pull a weapon on you. But, his happy-go-lucky attitude could both instantly cheer me up, or instantly push me to my limits, I've found that out through the short time I've known him already. And right now, it was really doing the latter.

"Come on Aeryn, ha-ha," He smiled. "I said I was sorry!"

I crossed my arms. "No you didn't."

"Didn't I?" He glanced at me, folding his coat over his arm.

"No."

"Ah, well." He smiled at me. "Then I meant to."

Isn't he going to apologize at least?!

I pouted, turning my back on him and facing the laid out blankets. I was still shivering, so I was quick to lower myself to the floor and wrap myself in one of the blanket's warmth, settling into my make-shift bed for the night.

And yet, I found myself still with goosebumps covering me.

The little lamp was shut off, and before I could speak up again, warning Ace to keep to his side of the tent, he had already walked over and in the dark I could hear him slipping under his own set of sheets. Well, at least he knew he shouldn't try anything on me- like the last time he did when this had occurred. At that thought, another shiver passed through me, and this time it wasn't caused by the slight chill in the air. I remembered his lips distracting me, shocking me as they pressed against mine... and then his hand gripping something... the vial. I remembered lips leaving mine, and another hand prying my mouth open, forcing that strange-tasting liquid down my throat. I remember gasping, coughing, before fingers were massaging my neck, even squeezing slightly, forcing me to swallow.

_"Forced to drink, thus forced to play..."_

"Are you cold?"

"Huh?" I blinked, shaking my head slightly, a bit dazed.

"Are you cold Aeryn?" He repeated for me.

I turned over so that my back was facing him. "I'm not."

When I heard no answer, I figured he had just taken my answer as it was and gone to sleep. So, imagine my surprise, when a body was settling next to mine, right as I was starting to close my eyes.

"ACE! What do you think you're doing?" Though he kept himself above the blankets, I knew all too well that if he wanted to, he could slip himself under them with me and do what he liked. It's not as if a skinny girl like me could hold my own against a healthy and strong young man like him- (as hard as that is for me to have to admit).

"You shouldn't lie to me Aeryn. You're too easy to see through." An arm flew over my side, and a tug at my stomach had be cradled into his figure. Luckily, not only were our clothes separating us, but the blanket around me was as well. Still, I felt too close for comfort to the untrustworthy knight.

"Ace, you promised you wouldn't touch me again." I stated, though that wasn't necessarily the exact truth.

And he seemed to remember. Cocking his head, he peered at me closely. "No, I promised I wouldn't kiss you again."

"...Well, the promise counted for both."

"Oh?" He was laughing now. "That's really not how I see it."

I huffed, more angry than before, but also I couldn't help but move myself closer to him. He was warm. Really warm. Despite the fact I didn't really trust him, and to be honest, he almost sort of scared me... It both surprised me that I liked the feel of his strong arms around me, warming me up, and it also made me angry with myself. Though I had never been in any sort of romantic relationship, I never really thought of being in one, not even in my wildest of fantasies. I may have had a few suitors before, but none of them had turned out to be impeccable enough for my family to accept me being with. And so there was certainly no physical approach that had ever been made. And now, in a strange land with even stranger people, I was put in a completely contradictory state of events with a man's arms wrapped around me? And I was- enjoying it? What was I thinking?! Cuddling, with Ace! Come to think of it, he didn't exactly come across to me as what I'd take as the cuddling type...

"Aeryn."

"What?" I huffed, as his voice suddenly broke through my thoughts.

"I can hear your heartbeat, too."

I froze up. I hadn't really realized it, but his head had pulled itself off my shoulder and closer to my chest. Not on top of it, since we were side-by-side and I was turned away from him, but it was close enough.

"Do you- like that sound?" Of course, I had already heard about everyone in Wonderland having clocks in place of hearts. And Julius was the mortician, and he had to fix the broken ones, and all that strange... nonsense. It seemed more unfamiliar and strange to me, than creepy or frightening. Clocks? For hearts? What did that kind of heart sound like anyway? A ticking clock, I suppose. I simply wasn't used to anything like it!

Ace chuckled lowly. "I love that sound. And now I have two sources for it."

"Two sources?"

"Yeah, you, and Alice." He suddenly sighed. "Though I haven't seen her in awhile- she's always at the Hatter's now."

For some reason, he almost sounded disappointed. His voice had considerably darkened as he talked. I wanted to get his mind off of whatever was bothering him, after all, I had the feeling I didn't want to deal with the darker side of the Knave of Hearts.

But of course I was also curious. "Do you like Alice?"

I have to admit, I was expecting him to avoid my question. Just not in the way he planned to do it. He tugged me closer and his lips found my ear. "I like you..."

With those words, he was suddenly on top of me, throwing the blanket aside and leaving me to look up at him with wide, surprised eyes. I didn't like that look he was giving me at all.

"Aeryn..." He said, his eyelids lowering, giving him this look that could only be described as dangerous. Sinful, also came to mind. I found myself pressing both my arms down along the seam of my dress, and clamping my hands to the ends of it's skirt.

"A-Ace?" I said back, and I no longer felt cold, but incredibly warm. Too incredibly warm.

His face lowered towards mine, and to my luck, he hadn't started moving his hands yet. Still, I kept my dress in my grip, unwilling to let go in case his hands eventually did decide to move. I was suddenly almost terrified of him. When his face was mere inches in front of mine, he closed his eyes, and I felt myself squirm underneath him, though I couldn't get away. He was heavier than I, and also, stronger. Likely, if I tried to get away, I mean really tried, he would pin me down faster than I could blink. Knowing that only made me more terrified than before.

"I know I made a promise," He breathed, his lips edging too close to my own. "But I really do want to kiss you now..."

"But a promise is a promise." I was hoping that he would behave like a gentleman and kindly get off of me. This wasn't exactly my area of expertise, and not knowing what was going to happen next scared me more than anything else could. Even more than the sudden dark tone his voice had adopted. "Besides, you truly don't like me all that much, do you?"

Suddenly, he was off of me, much to my relief, and I could breathe properly again. He stared at me for a moment, his crimson eyes serious, and then he was smiling and completely erasing the tense atmosphere. "You're right. I don't."

When he was moving back over to his own side of the tent, I thought I was safe to fall asleep again. I really must continue to remind myself that things are different in Wonderland, and hardly ever safe at all. The next moment, I heard the sound of a sword being drawn, the unmistakable scrape of metal sliding against metal. Sitting up, my hair flying behind me in a mess, I looked up wildly to see Ace pointing his sword at my chest, the glimmering tip ready to plunge straight into my heart.

He smiled, cocking his head at my open-mouthed, wide-eyed fear. "So maybe I'll kill you, then."

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

"Looks like you had a rough day in Wonderland, Miss Aeryn."

I breathed out slowly, then scratched my head as all the thoughts and memories left soon after they had come in quick succession. "Well, I'd say it wasn't too bad. Considering I managed to escape the twins before they could have their idea of fun with me, and Ace didn't end up killing me." An uneasy laugh escaped my lips, and around me, the dreamscape changed to that of a nice, open space, green grass expanding everywhere around me, fluffy white clouds above, and a bench where Nightmare sat now, watching me with his legs crossed and his face filled with its usual dark, mysterious sort of light.

"I'd say you should be more careful, but I know you'll forget to remember that." He sighs, and then, as I look over to him, I notice his body starts racking as coughs shake him to his core. I hurry over to him, sit beside him on the bench and lay my hand on his shoulder. The coughing subsides to just him wheezing for air, and then he pulls out a handkerchief and wipes at his mouth. Turning his face towards me, he mumbles an apology.

I smile. "It's okay." And then I'm frowning at him. "Though really, you should just go to a doctor!"

"You can't make me." He sings, rather childishly, I might add.

"Alright, then I won't talk to you until you do." I suppose I was acting like a child as well at this point.

The sky's shade darkens slightly, reflecting his changing mood. "Oh you won't?"

"Yes. Because you like me just as I like you, correct?" My eyes flashed over to meet his. "And therefore, I know it would be a punishment for you if I stopped talking to you. I know I'd be upset if you stopped talking to me."

The sky, despite my threat, was lightening again. Birds chirped somewhere in the distance. "You would be upset?"

"I just said I liked you, didn't I?" I sighed, looking away from him._ Though... not more than a friend. I'm not looking for any sort of romance in my life, it's not like it's completely necessary._

"Oh," He chuckled slightly. "I... see now."

I sighed after he spoke. _He's reading my mind again..._

"I can't help it. You make me curious, Aeryn."

I turn my head and blink at him. "No 'Miss'?"

He chuckled lightly and turned his head away from me. Suddenly, the scene changed around us, and we were sitting... in the sky. An impressive change of scenery- I always seemed to forget how unlimited his powers were when it came to the world of dreams.

"I've decided I'll start calling to you as I would to any close companion of mine."

"Good."

_Finally! No more 'Miss' Aeryn. I'm glad. It always sounded like he was trying to play the part of my teacher, or business partner. I never liked it._

_Well if you didn't like it so much, you should have made it more clear to me from the beginning, you know._

I gasped, still not used to the way his voice could make its way into my mind. Turning my head, I now saw him hovering next to me, the clouds around us standing out all too white against his darkly-clad figure. He looked slightly offended and I wanted to cheer him up.

"Well, it wasn't too bad. It's just- everyone else calls me Aeryn. There was no need for you to try and remain so formal." I explained, my hand drifting along the cloud I sat on. It was strange how soft it felt. Like duck feathers, or cotton. I knew that, if this were the real world, that wouldn't make much of any sense. But I had to admit- defying the sensible laws of physics and sitting atop a plush cloud while talking to a dream demon, was more than a little fun... I was finding out. It might eventually even seem normal to me if it keeps recurring.

"I'm glad you like it up in the clouds. I was just thinking that you look so surreal in this type of atmosphere." He suddenly murmured, and I looked up at him in curiosity.

"Huh? What do you mean?"

He grinned mysteriously. "Well, you're always wearing that white dress around- all pure and innocent to the eye- you're like some angel in the clouds. The scenery fits you well."

I found myself blushing at his words. "I don't resemble any sort of angel!"

"Well, maybe not your dark eyes." He easily remarked. And then he floated to me, his face nearing mine. "They're much too secretive and unsettling to belong to an angel. But your complexion altogether, is like that of an angel's."

I stared at him closely. "My eyes are secretive and _unsettling_?" I scoffed, crossing my arms.

"It's not anything to be upset about, Aeryn. It only adds more depth to who you are. And maybe unsettling is the wrong word," He reached out a hand, lifting my chin slightly towards his face. "Remarkably startling, is the most accurate way to describe them."

I rolled my eyes at his words, and watched him smirk at my next thoughts. What a clever little charmer, hah!

"But why would an angel be in the company of a demon?"

He released my chin and floated away from me. "Because the demon is haunting the angel. It's not her fault, she's just being manipulated."

I offered him a funny look, confused by his words, to which he laughed teasingly at.

I turned my head. "Well, whatever that means..." I wasn't entirely sure what he meant by manipulating me, but I knew he wouldn't just tell me all the answers. He never did. "And anyway, I don't believe that I could ever resemble an angel. Not one bit. I'd say that's going a bit too far, Nightmare."

"See for yourself."

Suddenly, I was standing in front of a giant mirror. No, I was in a room of mirrors, like they have at the amusement park. I looked myself in the eye, seeing Nightmare standing- well, floating- just behind me.

What I looked at was a girl with long wavy hair, wavy hair that was just a shade too dark to be white-blonde, but also much too light to be what you could actually call, blonde. The faint, faded sort of golden hue of my hair didn't really stand out against my fair skin, making it my eyes that were the center of attention. Deep, soulful, and brown. What with my light hair, pale skin, and white dress, my eyes stood out in sharp contrast. My complexion could only be classified as innocent, with only soft edges, I admit. But, as I continued to stare, I found myself doubting the angelic features Nightmare was so insistent in pointing out to me. Just what is it about girls and mirrors and how the two never seem to get along?

"I could be some sort of ghost, but no angel." I declared, rather stubbornly with a sense of finality.

"Well maybe that's because you're always washing yourself out!" He insisted, and the mirrors disappeared and became clouds again.

I turned on him. "What do you mean?"

"I've told you before, you need to stop wearing that white dress."

"You just said, not a moment ago, that it made me look like some sort of angel!"

"Yes, but twice before I've told you- you should add more color to your apparel. It would make you seem all the more angelic."

I raised my arms. "Oh, again with all this angel nonsense! And it's true, now that I recall it, you're always telling me to get out of this dress- if I didn't know any better, with you being an incubus and all, I'd think you were trying to suggest something to me!"

He scoffed, but then a slow smile spread across his face. "I am trying to suggest something to you." He successfully flew out of my reach, before I could grasp his lapels and shake him around as a result of my rising temper. "Let me finish, let me finish. I'm trying to suggest you find a new outfit, that's all."

I sat down on the fluffy mass of clouds at my feet, smoothing the fabric of my dress across my lap. "I have no sense of fashion, I'm afraid."

Suddenly, there was a brightness shining in my eyes. I covered my face with an arm, then peered upwards to see the sun pouring all of its light over my head.

"It's time for you to wake up. I'll see you the next time you dream, Aeryn..."

I looked around myself, seeing that Nightmare wasn't with me anymore. "Hey, wait! I'm telling you, I don't know where to even start with buying a new dress!"

_Not my problem..._ I heard him chuckling inside my head.

"What?!" My shouting became more mumbled as the dream world started to drift away from me. "This whole argument was based on what you said about me!"

_Was it though? Until next time, Aeryn. I expect to see you in a different dress by then._

"Nightmare!"

I shot up from my bed, calling out the dream demon's name, though I knew he was gone from me now. Cursing under my breath, I took in my surroundings, and nearly jumped at the cold voice that sounded just behind me.

"If you wouldn't shout names at me, please."

I turned, facing Julius with a look of reproach on my face. "Julius. Why on earth are you in my bedroom?" I winced, thinking that had just sounded a bit harsh and ill-mannered, but he remained completely stolid. "I mean, not to be rude, but... why are you?"

"I came in here to wake you up. I said you could stay one night in my tower, and I meant it. I need you out of here so that I can focus back on my work." With that, and a hard glance at me, he walked briskly from the room, shutting the door behind him. I could barely hear his footsteps as he walked down the hall, away from me.

Sighing, I slid from my bed, noticing that I was dressed, still, in my day clothes. The stupid white dress I had gotten in an argument about in my dreams was slightly ruffled from sleep, and I smoothed two hands down the front of it before crossing the room to turn to a mirror.

The dress wasn't too simple, but it also wasn't much of anything either. It was all a creamy white color, with a sensible, rounded neckline. A line of silver buttons started at the middle of the neckline and made it's way down until it ended just above my waist, and below my bust. The skirt of the dress fans out to just below my knees, with lace that tickles the skin there. The sleeves of it are puffed slightly, and short at my shoulders. And though I don't wear stockings, I have on my pair of short white socks that cover my small feet in a soft, comfortable way. Just where my shoes got to, I didn't really know. I'd have to ask Julius.

Turning away from the reflection staring back at me, I smoothed down my slightly-rumpled waves of hair and stepped out of the room. I don't have bangs, so my waves are the only thing framing my face. I keep smoothing them down as I walk down the hallway- I always hated how, after sleep, my hair became slightly unruly at the top. It was both annoying, and embarrassing, because I always felt people noticed and judged me for it. I have this complex where I think everyone's always judging me, and I suppose that's where my insecurities sprout from. I heard Alice is the same way, though her insecurity is caused by a different reason that I don't know of.

And that's another thing that causes my insecurity- people are always telling me about Alice. They're always comparing me to her. Apparently, we're both outsiders, so we're both special and all that, but she got here before me. And so I'm compared to her in every way. Well, I suppose it's only natural. I bet, actually, that's why Julius is so cold towards me. I suspect that he fell in love with Alice, and now she's gone and he's suffering from the loss like Minister White is. Only he's not being nearly as annoying as that rabbit is about it. And he's much more subtle with his feelings as well. So of course, since I'm another new Outsider, Julius might be fearful of growing close to me, only to have the same thing that happened with Alice, happen with me as well-

_Bonk!_

"Owww..." I mumble, taking a step back and rubbing a palm to my eye. I had successfully walked into a corner of the wall.

"Do your feet have minds of their own?"

I looked past the corner to see Julius, facing me with his arms folded across his chest. I lowered my hands and clasped them tightly together in front of me, feeling foolish and embarrassed that he had seen that, but also offended at his remark. "No, but I have a perfectly well-working mind of my own."

"And yet you found yourself falling down a rabbit hole some days ago, and now you're walking into walls." He scoffed.

"You really shouldn't be like that, people don't enjoy being judged so harshly." I glare at him, grumpy now that the place above my eye is throbbing and sore.

He only stares at me for another long, silent moment, and then he turns, his long, silky ponytail trailing after him. I sigh, following him from behind. But of course almost immediately, my mind begins to wander again.

I met with Nightmare for, what was it, the fifth time now as of last night? If he's visited me in my sleep every night upon my arrival to Wonderland... then, yes, the fifth time. Oh, I guess that means this is my sixth day in this magical, nonsensical world.

But then again, I could be wrong. I could be very wrong- after all, this isn't the real world, but some type of... world within a dream... or whatever it is. Some place where night can turn easily back into evening, and then randomly go back into the night, only to become daytime just a few hours later. And in a world with such a sporadic continuation of time lapses, it can get confusingly irregular, especially if you're trying your best to keep track. I'm not entirely sure how to keep track anymore, and so the days just keep passing me by almost without my knowing. My brain just can't follow along with the time and the days.

_"There's no more sense of yesterday..."_

Now that I think back on it, how had I come to be here in this world anyway? I have to go back and recall when- when- ah yes, the_ letter_! And then that funny little rabbit hole that came out of no where!

"For god's sake- do you ever pay attention when spoken to?"

I snap out of my thoughts and nearly bump into the clock maker's chest, though he holds out his arms and firmly stops me, hands planted on my shoulders. I may have failed to notice it last night, but... he's miles and miles taller than me. It's highly intimidating, but I glare up at him anyway.

"And do you ever try to be even a bit polite?"

He shook his head, sighing. "I don't wish to waste my time arguing over anything with you." He turned around, heading over to his cluttered work desk. When he was sitting there, he looked up at me, as if expecting me to be gone by now. "There's the door." He motioned towards the door across the room.

Scowling, I walked over to his desk and stood in front of it, instead of leaving. He was shocked, at my question that came next. I don't know entirely why I said it, either.

"Can I visit you again?"

I stared down at him as he sat there, seemingly mulling over things in his mind. His dark blue eyes were widened, because of my words, but they soon narrowed on me as he came across a decision.

"No."

And then he turned his face down, so as not to look at me, and started to mess about with his clocks. There was an air about him that said he wished to be left alone now. So, that was the final decision, it would seem. And though I wanted to make up with him, try to include him in my growing list of friends here in Wonderland, as, apparently, that was the only way I was to return home, (though I don't really see how that works) I was also upset with his attitude. It reminded me of how I was often treated before,

_"No, Aeryn."_

_"You're not allowed, Aeryn."_

_"You can't do that, Aeryn."_

_"We won't allow it."_

_"You can't."_

_"NO."_

A stinging sensation threatened me behind my eyes- tears of utter frustration. I spun around, quickly as I could. Though I was sure my rising temper and sickening attitude would leave me slamming the door in my wake, I suddenly didn't get the chance to when the door opened up for me, and in came... Ace.

"Aeryn?" He sounded surprised more than anything as he blinked down at me.

Before he could confront me, I shoved past him, taking off in whichever direction I could first escape to while somehow holding the tears at bay.

**..**

Ace watched after her for a moment, his brows raised as he looked on as a bystander. It was unknown what he was thinking as he watched her, his face was set into an expression of perfect blankness.

"Huh. She ran away from me earlier, too. Don't really know why." He shrugged, and peered more closely at the girl's retreating figure. "I was wondering where she went... Is she not wearing any shoes...?" He mumbled the last part to himself, scratching his head in wonder.

The clock fixer stared past Ace's shoulder, out into the light of day that streamed through the door. He still sat at his desk, unmoving and seemingly distant, and in one smooth motion he was lifting his hand, closing his eyes, and pressing his glasses up on his nose. Then he let out a deep sigh, which caught the Knave's attention. Ace turned his head towards the other man, blinking at him for a moment.

"Any idea what you did to make her run off like that?" He asked, sounding nothing but genuinely curious.

Julius' sharp eyes glanced off to the side. "How am I to know? I simply told her to leave. I have work to do. As do you." He said the last part with a pointed glare in Ace's direction. "Need I remind you?"

Ace, apparently not caring to ask anything more, slipped the other man an unusually cheery smile, closing the door loudly with a kick and starting to ask questions about the work Julius called him in for. Julius, however, was only listening, but not absorbing or trying to answer the sudden onslaught of questions. One couldn't really tell what he was thinking, but Ace seemed to notice that the man continued to sneak glances back at the closed door every now and then, an odd expression covering his face.

**..**

By the time Aeryn realized the pain she was in, her feet were already pretty scratched up from the forest floor, even with socks on. The branches were unnaturally sharper than they should be, she had decided, as she sat down and began to pull twigs from her dress and lightly touch the scratches on her bare arms. She didn't even want to look at her feet- knowing that there was good reason for the ache and pain there- they had to be bleeding a little bit, she would guess. She hadn't really been all that careful, practically rampaging through the trees like that... she was just worried about being pursued.

A slight rustling in the branches beside her got her attention, and she was quick to jolt to her feet, expecting to see Ace, thinking that he really had followed her.

Instead though, she was met with a different familiar voice.

"Aeryn? That you?"

* * *

**_A/N: So, did you like it? I liked writing it :) _**

**_I don't really know why I didn't chose Alice as my main character, but I think it was because I enjoy developing my own personal character, with their own back story that I get to make up, because that way it makes writing more fun for me (: And, though as you can see from this chapter, my OC is similar to Alice in the way she acts and portrays herself, her personality does also differ in some areas. You'll see as the story progresses. _**

**_As I said earlier, I don't know who to pair my OC with. So we'll all decide together. Based on just this first chapter, who do you like her with better?_**

**_The Twins?_**

**_Ace?_**

**_Nightmare?_**

**_Julius?_**

**_Tell me your opinion. Who, out of these four so far (five, I guess, if you count both the twins) do you favor? As the story progresses, I'll keep adding in more of the role holders as we go. _**

**_Oh! Quickie explanation: _****_This story doesn't exactly go in chronological order, as you can tell from this chapter. Sometimes, memories mash and dreams are reality and reality is just her dreaming. Confused? Good, I'm going for that slight bit of confusion. (not too much of it though, so you can at least follow along) I want to sort of make it like the movie- which made half to no sense at all, btw. Wahaha. Ha. This is fun for me, can you tell?_**

**_A bit more clarification that I couldn't fit into the summary: Like Peter asking Nightmare (at least I assume he asked Nightmare, given all the hints in the first manga book) to make the connection to Alice's world in order to kidnap her, SOMEONE did the same type of thing to Aeryn. Except we don't know who did it, or how they did it. Yet. All we know is there was some sort of letter involved. And that Aeryn clumsily fell into the rabbit hole all on her own. (or DID SHE?!) *Cheshire cat grin of mischievousness* Tell me in a review, maybe we can play a little guessing game. What do YOU think happened? _**

**_Oh my god. I'm just having way too much fun with this :3 _**

**_If you ever find yourself confused, just bare with me. (you can ask me questions if you need to, but I'm not going to give anything important away, just so you know) It will all come together as the story progresses. Each chapter, as I look at it, is like each separate puzzle piece slowly clicking into place. All you, as my viewers, need to worry about is deciding who you want Aeryn to pair up with, and telling me so that I can tally up the votes. Okay? \|^,^|/ This is so exciting! Crap I'm gonna hyperventilate. _**

**_Thanks for reading! Please tell me what you think and who should steal Aeryn's heart ;) Also, take a guess at what happened to Aeryn before the rabbit hole incident. What led up to it, do you think? Eh? Eh?_**

**_with love, from your super-over-excited author-chan, _**

**_CK :*_**


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